In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I’m a die-hard Sega fan. Through and through I bleed Sonic Blue. But I’m not sitting here arguing that Sega > Nintendo. I love Mario games too! But I’m just a Sega fan, and I’m okay with that. So when I first heard of the Sega Genesis Mini, my first impression was, “Oh boy, here we go again. This is going to suck…………………………………”

………………. But then I discovered that Sega dropped their partnership with AtGames, and without even knowing who the new developer was, I felt a sense of relief. AtGames is the company responsible for the numerous plug-and-play consoles – Genesis included – you can find at Walmart and other places. Their approach to quality was always questioned, and the entire branding and product never once felt authentic. In fact, it almost felt like Sega somehow lost the rights to their own Genesis brand because who in their right mind at Sega Holdings Co., LTD would give this the thumbs up? But alas, this is all in the past because we now have a much more authentic compilation console in the vein of the NES Classic and the Super Nintendo Classic. Enter the Sega Genesis Mini.

The Sega Genesis Mini has already hit the shelves (this article was written just before the release and has not been edited aside from this sentence) and will feature 42 games in total, two of which were never released to the system in the States. The development of this miniature console has been handled in-house by Sega and in conjunction with renowned developer M2, the company behind dozens of classic Sega re-releases on newer consoles. In addition to the game set-list, the system includes two 3-button wired controllers, USB power adapter, power cable, and HDMI cable. Altogether, the Sega Genesis Mini will retail at $79.99.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Upon first glance, you likely notice the system is modeled after the model 1 Genesis as opposed to the model 2. If I’m not mistaken, the model 2 sold better, but I have to say that the model 1 is a little more identifiable and unique in its design, so this is fitting. The inclusion of two controllers was expected and not much of a surprise. Same with the HDMI connection. Keeping the controllers wired instead of going wireless likely helped Sega stay within their price range goals. That’s an easy decision after seeing how successful Nintendo was with their two miniature offerings that also featured wired controllers. I know the 3-button controller was the original North American design, but I can’t help but wonder if the 6-button would have been a more desired choice for fans of games that featured the additional buttons. Oh well, I think I heard you can buy the 6-button ones from a third-party. Cannot confirm that, though.

THE LINE-UP

Design aesthetics and other tangible features are well and good, but the draw of a mini throwback console will always be the games and the quality of its emulation. So let’s take a look at the 42 games packed into this tiny black box:

• Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
• Alisia Dragoon
• Altered Beast
• Beyond Oasis
• Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
• Castlevania: Bloodlines
• Columns
• Comix Zone
• Contra: Hard Corps
• Darius
• Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
• Dynamite Headdy
• Earthworm Jim
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Eternal Champions
• Ghouls n’ Ghosts
• Golden Axe
• Gunstar Heroes
• Kid Chameleon
• Landstalker
• Light Crusader
• Mega Man: The Wiley Wars
• Monster World IV
• Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
• Road Rash II
• Shining Force
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
• Sonic Spinball
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Space Harrier II
• Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
• Streets of Rage 2
• Strider
• Super Fantasy Zone
• Tetris
• Thunder Force III
• ToeJam & Earl
• Vectorman
• Virtua Fighter 2
• Wonder Boy in Monster World
• World of Illusion

Overall, it’s a very strong lineup! You’ll notice that the list is not too dissimilar from Sega’s most popular Genesis compilation games such as the recently released Sega Genesis Classics on Switch and Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection from the PS3 and 360 days. Perhaps the most glaring omission isn’t even from just ONE missing game but the fact that the compilation features NO full game series, i.e. Streets of Rage 1 – 3, Sonic 1-3 with Knuckles, Golden Axe 1 – 3, Vectorman 2, etc. Oddly enough, this is good and bad: bad for fans of those games that don’t own other Genesis compilation games and good for fans who do own some of those other compilation games.

As it always seems to be, this collection of games is a mish-mash of numerous other compilation games such as Sega 3D Classics Collection and the aforementioned compilations from the Switch, PS3, and 360. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it is, without a doubt, becoming harder to keep track of all the available games across all the different compilations across all the different platforms.

ADDITIONAL RAD STUFF

Originally, the Sega Genesis Mini was going to feature only 40 games until recently when two more games were added to the mix: Tetris and Darius. Neither of these Arcade titles has ever been released for the Genesis nor the Mega Drive making for an exciting and enticing draw for die-hard Genesis aficionados looking for that little extra incentive to blow $80 — Like any retro game collector has ever been shy about spending a few more bucks on something cool to fill their shelves.

Unfortunately for North America, the Sega Genesis Mini won’t feature any of the visual add-ons that the Mega-Drive Mini will. In Japan, fans can buy cosmetic add-ons for their Mega-Drive Mini in the form of a mini 32x, a mini Sega CD (model 1 of course), Sonic & Knuckles, and original Sonic cartridges. Interlocking all of these was always a fun[ny] way to make a stupid ridiculously tall Sega tower of madness. Fortunately, you won’t need to tap into your local power grid like you did in 1995 because this is all cosmetic.

And one more fun tidbit for you: famed Sega composer Yuzo Koshiro has crafted the soundtrack for the menus and titles screens of this sweet little Sega Genesis Mini. For those unfamiliar, Mr. Koshiro is renowned for his masterpieces on games such as Streets of Rage 2, Beyond Oasis, Shinobi III, Shenmue, and so much more. His involvement alone solidifies the authentic feeling of true Sega nostalgia, but it’s more than that: it shows us that Sega is pulling out all the stops this time around showing us that they actually care.

Photo Credit: Polygon

CONCLUSION

I, for one, am very excited to get my hands on the Sega Genesis Mini. I do not think it will be a shelf-clearing phenomenon like the NES Classic was, but I have no doubt that plenty of units will be sold on opening week. Sega has a real chance here to change their public perception as long as the hardware quality is sturdy and authentic and the software is emulated to perfection. For the first time in a long time, I actually think Sega can pull this off. And let’s not forget… This is Sega’s first console since the Dreamcast, a beloved and ahead-of-its-time console that ultimately failed despite strong critical acclaim. Could the success of this pint-sized console lead to future Sega consoles? I think it could. I don’t know that it will, but I think it could.

$80 may be a lot of money for some, but it’s a true bargain when you look at the quality of the games delivered such as top-selling hits like Sonic 2 and Golden Axe, forgotten hits like Vectorman and World of Illusion, cult favorites like Castlevania: Bloodlines, Mega Man Wiley Wars, and Gunstar Heroes, and newcomers like Tetris and Darius. The Sega Genesis Mini releases on September 19th, 2019 at all major retailers where you may find something like this (think Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc).

What do you think of the game choices? Is the hardware authentic and exciting? Or is this whole thing a big waste of time and is it going to flop?

For the official Sega Genesis Mini web page, here it is: http://genesismini.sega.com/